Ruger No1(a) 303

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Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by Cal-ApeR » 20 Jun 2019, 4:25 pm

Hi all,

My old boy has a Ruger 1a in 303. He never played with it too much but struggled to get a good load happening. Does anyone have any loads that work well in theirs?
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by Bill » 20 Jun 2019, 4:40 pm

you not the only one to struggle with an accurate load, it was generally accepted Ruger built a dog, but its funny how some now ask 2.5k for them like they're something special.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by bladeracer » 20 Jun 2019, 5:02 pm

Cal-ApeR wrote:Hi all,

My old boy has a Ruger 1a in 303. He never played with it too much but struggled to get a good load happening. Does anyone have any loads that work well in theirs?


What twist rate is it? Try flat-base and boat-tail bullets of different weights, you should be able to find something that works.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by SCJ429 » 20 Jun 2019, 9:12 pm

Ruger can make some pretty rough barrels, is it copper fouling badly? You can bed the front hanger which helps it. Also where you place the fore end on the front rest can make a big difference, many do not like you sitting the rest near the front of the fore end. The biggest issue is going to be the barrel quality, all of mine have aftermarket barrels.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by in2anity » 20 Jun 2019, 11:00 pm

If you’re feeling adventurous you can RTV bed the entire forend... :D
Last edited by in2anity on 21 Jun 2019, 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by wrenchman » 20 Jun 2019, 11:12 pm

wow i never new they made one in 303 the ruger numer 1 has some of the best wood i have seen on out of the box guns
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by combo12 » 21 Jun 2019, 7:04 am

Also made them in 7X57. Two classic vintage cartridges. I guess Ruger figured they might appeal to collectors?
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by straightshooter » 21 Jun 2019, 7:26 am

I have never personally handled one of these Rugers but you would have to suspect that they did the same with barrels for this caliber as they did for 7.62x39 rifles that they made. That is they used a 308 barrel.
If that is the case then accuracy might improve with 308 projectiles provided the barrel isn't heavily fouled. Added to that they would likely left a longish freebore to minimise pressure excursions due to the oversize for the barrel projectiles in a 303 so long bullets will be beneficial.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by SCJ429 » 21 Jun 2019, 8:15 am

I don't have a Ruger #1 in 303 but I have heard that the total groove depth can be .314 or .315. This is probably not doing you any favours if you are shooting .311 or .3105 projectiles.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by tophet1 » 21 Jun 2019, 6:18 pm

Yep. Bad rep from the start. Slug your barrel then cast your own is the best way to get accuracy.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by Cal-ApeR » 21 Jun 2019, 7:05 pm

To me, all of the above responses seem to indicate - sell it! Anyone keen haha!

I've only handled it once. It just sits in the safe, barely used thus why I was seeking a bit of advice/info. I'm time poor so casting my own is out of the question. Slugging the bore sounds like a good idea if the groove depth varies as much as indicated. Might be a good starting point.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by cadet » 22 Jun 2019, 10:13 am

Check the forend bedding screw is not death-grip tight. Shots were walking up the target as the barrel heated on mine - 1st would be on PoA; 2nd an inch or so high, 3rd 4-6 inches up.
I took to the safety on mine with a file to stop cases bouncing back into the chamber, too.
Otherwise a good, plenty-accurate rifle with jacketed bullets.
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by in2anity » 22 Jun 2019, 3:57 pm

cadet wrote:Check the forend bedding screw is not death-grip tight. Shots were walking up the target as the barrel heated on mine - 1st would be on PoA; 2nd an inch or so high, 3rd 4-6 inches up.
I took to the safety on mine with a file to stop cases bouncing back into the chamber, too.
Otherwise a good, plenty-accurate rifle with jacketed bullets.

Classic symptoms of a tightly fitted forend - as the barrel heats it expands away from forend, resulting in a vertical string. Steps can be taken to relieve these tensions, but you have to alter your forend.
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by cadet » 22 Jun 2019, 7:16 pm

Well, I guess backing the screw off a tad from "death grip" to "nipped up firmly" to fix it was a modification to the forend...
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by in2anity » 22 Jun 2019, 9:12 pm

cadet wrote:Well, I guess backing the screw off a tad from "death grip" to "nipped up firmly" to fix it was a modification to the forend...

If that’s all it takes to stop the vertical stringing then yeah, you’re home and hosed :thumbsup:
At what point does lack of maintenance become patina?
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Re: Ruger No1(a) 303

Post by Cal-ApeR » 24 Jun 2019, 4:23 pm

Cheers Cadet. Will be sure to check this out.
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